Wildly popular ‘Book of Mormon’ in Charlotte for 11 days

Published: Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 09:46 AM.

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“There are different numbers that you can kind of hear from different musicals. It’s all the same formula of a regular musical; it’s the dialogue that changes it up,” she said. “You can hear a little bit of ‘Wicked,’ a little bit of ‘The Lion King,’ ‘The Sound of Music.’”

Ware said people who have never seen an episode “South Park” are often surprised by the humor in “The Book of Mormon.”

“All they’re doing here is exaggerating on real life, and that’s what makes it so funny. That’s what Matt and Trey do. They’re pop culture geniuses. They put whatever’s happening in the world and make it funny.”

But that kind of comedy can be uncomfortable for some people, she said. Overall, “Book of Mormon” has been well received; however, some people have walked out in the past.

“It’s just a story being told in a different way, and some people aren’t used to it. It’s just a new kind of musical,” Ware said.

Getting into character: Ware said her character is one of the Ugandans and serves as kind of the anchor of the show. Nabulungi is trying to help her people find a better way to live. Ware said Nabulungi is not satirized or made fun of, but it’s her innocence that’s so funny.

“She’s very naïve. She doesn’t really get it. She’s still kind of the princess,” she said.

‘BOOK OF MORMON’
When: Dec. 26-Jan. 5Where: Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St.Tickets: Through a pre-show lottery at the Belk Theater box office, 20 tickets will be made available at $25 apiece for each performance. Entries will be taken at the box office starting two and a half hours before every show. Each person will write down their name and whether they want one or two tickets. Only one entry is allowed per person per performance. Names will be drawn at random two hours before the show. Winners must be present at the drawing and show ID.

For 11 days only, a musical like no other will unfold in Charlotte. The outrageous and hilarious “The Book of Mormon” will be at the Belk Theater from Dec. 26-Jan. 5. The show’s popularity and reputation precedes it, with only a limited number of tickets left.

The religious satire musical debuted in 2011, snatching nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

The show is about two young Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda. They find out that life as a missionary is very different from what they imagined. They try to share “The Book of Mormon,” but realize the villagers are more concerned with dealing with war, famine, poverty, AIDS and a terrorizing warlord.

“As long as you come to the show with an open mind and an open heart, you can take away so many things,” said Samantha Marie Ware, who plays Nabulungi in the touring production. “Every character has very different agendas, but in the end, they all come together. It’s actually a very beautiful show. It’s still a musical. It’s still a story.”

Musical and comical geniuses: The geniuses behind “The Book of Mormon” are Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez. Stone and Parker are otherwise known as the creators of the cartoon comedy “South Park,” and Lopez was the co-creator/co-lyrist of musical “Avenue Q.” Traces of both these shows can be found in “The Book of Mormon.”

The writers made the music sound familiar in an effort to make the audience comfortable with the show, Ware said.

“There are different numbers that you can kind of hear from different musicals. It’s all the same formula of a regular musical; it’s the dialogue that changes it up,” she said. “You can hear a little bit of ‘Wicked,’ a little bit of ‘The Lion King,’ ‘The Sound of Music.’”

Ware said people who have never seen an episode “South Park” are often surprised by the humor in “The Book of Mormon.”

“All they’re doing here is exaggerating on real life, and that’s what makes it so funny. That’s what Matt and Trey do. They’re pop culture geniuses. They put whatever’s happening in the world and make it funny.”

But that kind of comedy can be uncomfortable for some people, she said. Overall, “Book of Mormon” has been well received; however, some people have walked out in the past.

“It’s just a story being told in a different way, and some people aren’t used to it. It’s just a new kind of musical,” Ware said.

Getting into character: Ware said her character is one of the Ugandans and serves as kind of the anchor of the show. Nabulungi is trying to help her people find a better way to live. Ware said Nabulungi is not satirized or made fun of, but it’s her innocence that’s so funny.

“She’s very naïve. She doesn’t really get it. She’s still kind of the princess,” she said.

Ware previously played Nala in “The Lion King.” Nala and Nabulungi are very similar characters in their hopes for their people and land, and she said this common element and her youth made it easy to connect to the new role.

“The show is still just taking the country by storm, and it keeps going,” Ware said. “It’s really [amazing] to be part of something so young and fresh.”

You can reach lifestyles reporter Andrea Honaker at ahonaker@gastongazette.com or 704-869-1840. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/andi384 and read her blog at lifelessons.blogs.gastongazette.com.